Car coupling



22, 1938. w. H. HAMMOND, JR 27,112,020

,CAR couPLING Filed Aug. 2, 1937 `s shets-shet 1 Inventor itorneys .gh 22, 1938.,Y .w H. HAMMOND. JR

CAR COUPLING Filed' Aug. 2. 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 torneys March 22, 1938. W. HAMMOND, JR :2,112,020

CAR couPLING Filed Aug. 2, 1957 s sheets-sheet s 1 r lflrrr Attorneys Patented Mar. 22, 1938 UNITED STATES lArtNr oFFicE 5 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in car couplings and the primary object thereof is to provide an eiiicient coupling mechanism for use more particularly on mining cars and adapted 5` to eliminate all hazards in the coupling of such cars thereby obviating injury to mine operatives particularly in underground work and on curves.

Another object is to provide a coupling for the p-urpose above set forth which is simple in conlo'. struction, reliable in operation, inexpensive to manufacture and readily incorporated in the usual mine car without necessitating expensive modification of the latter.

To the accomplishment of the above and subl; ordinate objects presently appearing, a preferred embodiment of my invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings, set forth in detail in the following description and dened in the claims appended hereto.

2O In said drawings:-

Figure 1 is a fragmentary View in top plan illustrating my improved coupling with the parts shown in coupling position,

Figure 2 is a similar View in side elevation,

Figure 3 is a view in longitudinal vertical section taken on'theline 3-3 of Figure l, looking in the direction indicated by I'the arrow,

Figure 4 isa View similar to Figure 3 illustrating the parts in uncoupling position,

30;l Figure 5 is a view in transverse vertical section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4,

Figure 6'is a view in perspective of the coupling pin and a pin operating yoke,

Figure 7 is a view in perspective of a coupling bail,

Figure 8 is a similar view of a rock shaft and yoke operating arms thereon, and

Figure 9 is a fragmentary View in perspective of part of a rock bar for operating said arms 4() and shaft.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, I and 2 designate the adjacent bumper ends of two mine cars, respectively, the construction of the remainder of which being well understood in the 45 art has not been illustrated in the drawings.

According to my invention one of said ends, I in this instance, has mounted thereon a pair of upper and lower right angled plates 3 and 4 of heavy gauge metal spaced apart vertically and 50 arranged to form a housing open at the sides and opposite the other end 2. The plates 3 and l are secured Ytogether in any suitable manner and to said end I as by bolts, a pair of which is shown at 5, said bolts passing through opposite sides of 55 saidplates 3 and 4 and through said end I and surrounded by spacer sleeves 6 shown in dotted lines in Figure l disposed intermediate said plate. Centrally of the described housing contiguous to the open end thereof is a vertical king bolt 1 extending through said plates 3 and 4 and into the 5 end I. A draft or coupling link 8 is pivotally mounted adjacent one end thereof on said king bolt 'l intermediate the plates 3 and 4 so as to extend horizontally on one side of said bolt toward the other end 2 and for horizontal swinging 10 movement. On` the other side of the king bolt 'l the link 8 has an extension 9 to which is connected one end of a tension spring I9 the other end of which is connected, as at I I, to a xed part of the housing so that said spring tensions said 15.

link against swinging movement. Pivotally mounted on the king bolt l, on the top plate 4, is a crank I2 having a bifurcated end I3 straddling the link 8 whereby the latter may be swung from side to side by manipulation of the crank I2 for a purpose presently clear.

n the other end 2 is a similar pair of lower and upper right angled plates Ill and I secured to said end and to each other by any suitable means and designed to form a housing on said end 2 opposite the link 8 opening toward the end I and receiving therein the extended end of said link 3. The edges of the plates Iii and I5 opposed to the link 8 are inclined to form upper and lower flat cam ledges IE and Il facilitating entrance of the link 8 between the plates I4 and I5. At the sides of the plates lll and I5 diverging webs, as at I8, connect said ledges i9 and Il to further facilitate entrance of the link 8 between said plates I4 and I5.

Suitably secured to the top plate I5 is an open top casing like control box I9 centered on the housing formed by the plates I4 and I5 and including end walls 29, side walls 2l and a bottom wall 22. The elements 23 are space bars between 40 the plate I5 and box I9 which need merely be identified in passing. Upstanding from the bottom wall 22 of the box I9 adjacent one end thereof and in the longitudinal center of said box is a tubular guide, or sleeve, 24 in which is vertically 45 slidable a coupling pin 25. The coupling pin 25 is adapted to be elevated and lowered in said guide 2d in uncoupling and coupling positions respectively. In its coupling position said pin 25 extends through an aperture 26 in the bottom wall 22 of box I9 and similar apertures 2l and 28 in the plates I5 and IQ respectively. A socket 29 in the end 2 receives the lower end of said pin 25 in the coupling position thereof. As will be understood the coupling pin is designed to' extend 55 through the coupling link 8 said link thereby forming a coupling member complemental to said pin. The guide 24 is braced at its top to the side walls 2| by a cross bar 3U.

The coupling pin 25 is elevated and lowered through the medium of a vertically rocking and longitudinally sliding yoke 3| comprising a rod 32 extending loosely through said pin adjacent the upper end thereof and to project upon opposite sides of the pin through a pair of diametrically opposed slots, one of which is shown at 33, provided in the guide 24. The rod 32 as will be understood plays up and down in the box I9. The remaining part of the yoke 3| is a U-shaped yoke frame including a pair of side arms 33" extending from the rod 32 upon opposite sides of the guide 24, respectively, and slidably mounted intermediate their ends in a rock shaft 34 journalled horizontally in a bearing block 35 fast on one side of said guide 24 substantially centrally thereof. Hooks 35 extend laterally from the arms 33' at the ends thereof opposite the rod 32 and similar hooks 31 from the ends of the rock shaft 34. A pair of yoke tensioning springs 38 connect the hooks 31 and 38 on opposite sides of the described yoke frame. The arrangement of the de scribed yoke 3| and springs 38 is such that when the coupling pin 25 is elevated or lowered in degree sufficient to move the yoke 3| past dead center position relative to' the axis of rotation thereof said yoke is slid longitudinally in the shaft 34 by the springs 38 and the coupling pin 25 moved to coupling or uncoupling position, as the case may be, under the tension of said springs 38. The coupling and uncoupling positions of the pin 25 are established by coaction of the rod 32 with opposite ends of the described slots 33.

The coupling pin 25 is initially moved toward coupling position by the following mechanism. J ournaled in suitable bearings 39, provided on the inner face of the sides 2| of box I9, and exn tending parallel with the rod 32 is a rock shaft 40 having extending therefrom a pair of yoke operating arms 4| overlying opposite ends of the rod 32. The shaft 40 and arms 4| are operative in one direction to depress said rod 32 and coupling pin 25 from uncoupling position. Beneath the rock shaft 40 and journaled in the sides 2| of box I9 for rocking movement is an arm operating bar 42 provided with a pair of laterally extending hook-like members 43 overlying the arms 4|, respectively, so that when said bar 42 is rocked in one direction said arms 4| will be depressed and the rod 32 and coupling pin 25 correspondingly moved. The bar 42 is rocked in said direction by means of crank arms 43 on opposite ends thereof depending from the bar on the outside of the box I9 and engaged by a rocking bail 44; comprising an upper cross rod 45 journaled in the sides 2| of the box I9, parallel to the shaft 48, and above the same, a pair of side arms 46 depending from opposite end of said rod 45 upon opposite sides of said box I9 exteriorly thereof and an abutment bar 41 connecting the lower ends of said arms 45 and swinging between the plates I4 and I5 behind the coupling pin 25. A tension spring 48 connected at one end, as at 49, to one end wall 2|) of box I9 and at its other end to a bracket 59 on the cross bar 45, tensions the bail so that the abutment bar 4T is urged toward the coupling pin 25 or forwardly. Forward movement of said bar 41 is limited by the beforementioned webs I8. At this point it may be stated that the guide arms 44 and crank arms 43 play in slots 5I in the topi plate I 5 which extend laterally on both sides of the box I9 so that said arms and the abutment bar 4l are housed between the plates |4 and I5 to obviate danger from contact With these parts by mine operatives.

As a convenient and safe means for moving the coupling pin initially toward uncoupling position, a pair of U-shaped vertically swingable crank members 52 are journaled at their bends in opposite side Walls 2| of the box |9 and in bearing 53 thereon with one arm 54 thereof inside said box and the other arm 55 thereof outside said box. The arm 54 of member 53 underlies opposite ends of the yoke rod 32 so that upward swinging of saidr members 52 elevates said rod 32 and the coupling pin 25. A manually operative bail 56 is pivotally connected to the arm 55 of members 52. The bail 56, which may be termed an u ncoupling bail, is of the proper size so that it may be swung upwardly on the members 52 over the box I9 for operation by an attendant on the one car or swung into extended position relative to said members 52 toward the other car for operation by an attendant on said other car.

The operation of the inventionwill,it is believed, be understood from the foregoing. When, it is desired to couplethe cars together, the parts being in uncoupling position, the link 8 is swung by means of the crank I2 to center the same relative to the coupling pin 25. Upon movement of one car toward the other the link 8 abuts the abutment bar 47 swinging the same and the bail 44 rearwardly against the tension of the spring 48. The bar 41 engages the crank arms 43, rocks the bar 42 and depresses the yoke operating arms 4I as will be clear. The yoke rod 32 and coupling pin 25 are depressed until the yoke 3| is rocked past the described dead center position whereupon the yoke tensioning springs 38 complete movement of the coupling pin 25 to coupling position. The operation of moving the coupling pin 25 to uncoupling position will be understood from the foregoing without further explanation.

Manifestly changes in details of construction and arrangement of parts described in the foregoing may be resorted to without departing from the inventive concept disclosed and right is herein reserved to all such modifications falling within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

What I claim is:

1. A coupling mechanism for coupling two cars together comprising a link extended from one car for movement into coupling position by travel of said car toward the other, a coupling pin on the other car vertically movable in opposite directions into coupling and uncoupling positions, respectively, relative to said link, means for moving said pin comprising a tensioned yoke operatively connected to the pin and mounted foi` rocking movement in opposite directions past a dead center position relative to the axis of said pin to render the same effective, means for rocking said yoke in one direction past said position and operative by movement of said link against the same and manually operative means for rocking said yoke in the opposite direction past said position.

2.. A coupling mechanism for coupling two cars together comprising a link extended from one car for movement into coupling position by travel of said car toward the other, a coupling pin on the other car vertically movable in opposite directions, respectively, into coupling and uncoupling positions relative to said link, means for moving said pin comprising a tensioned yoke operatively connected to said pin and mounted for rocking movement in opposite directions past a dead center position relative to the axis of said pin to render the same effective, means for i rocking said yoke in one direction past said position comprising a swingably mounted bail operative by movement of said link against the same, means operative by said bail to impart movement to said yoke, and manually operative means for rocking said yoke in the opposite direction past said position.

3. Coupling mechanism for coupling two cars together comprising a link extended from one car for movement into coupling position by travel of said car toward the other, a coupling pin on the other car vertically movable in coupling position relative to said link, means for moving said pin comprising a tensioned yoke operatively connected to said pin and mounted for rocking movement past a dead center position relative' to the axis of said pin to render the same eiective, and means for rocking said yoke past said position comprising a swingably mounted bail operative by movement of said link against the same, a rock shaft having crank-like ends thereon engaged by said bail with a wiping action to thereby impart movement to said shaft, a second rock shaft having bail operating arms extending therefrom, and operating connections between the rst mentioned rock shaft and said bail operating arms.

4. Coupling mechanism for coupling two cars together comprising a link extended from one car for movement into coupling position by travel oi said car toward the other, a coupling pin on the other car vertically movable into coupling position to said link,v means for moving said pin comprising a tensioned yoke operatively connected to said pin and mounted for rocking movement past a dead center position relative to the axis of said pin to render the same eilective, and means for rocking said yoke past said position comprising a swingably mounted bail operative by movement of said link against the same, a rock shaft having crank ends thereon engaged by said bail with a wiping action to thereby impart movement to said shaft, a second rock shaft having bail operating arms extending therefrom, and operating connections between the rst mentioned rock shaft and said bail operating arms comprising hooks extending from the rst mentioned rock shaft and taking over said bail operating arms.

' 5. A coupling mechanism for coupling two cars together comprising a link extending from one car formovement into coupling position by travel of said car toward the other, a coupling pin on the other car vertically movable in opposite directions into coupling and uncoupling positions, relative to said link, means for moving said pin comprising a tensioned yoke operatively connected to the pin and mounted for rocking movement in opposite directions past a dead center position relative to the aXis of said pin to render the same effective, and means for rocking said yoke in one direction past said position and operative by movement of said link against the same.

l WADE I-I. HAMMOND, JR. 

